Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am in the market for aa new camera. I have heard the Nikon CoolPix is the way to go. Can anyone share their Model Numbers if you have a Nikon??
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In Loving Memory of the best Brother God gave me
Sgt. Arnold DuPlantier II
(Army National Guard, Charlie Rock Co.)
06/03/1979-06/22/2005
Support Our Troops

I have a Nikon D70s, but this is really way too much horsepower for the average picture taker. Look at the D50. Both are great cameras.
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Jay A. Martin
Jay Martin Reptiles

So ah what are you saying there Jay, that you are just better than us and can handle the power? LOL! I am, and will always be partial to Olympus cameras. I'm still using an old 1.3 mega pixal and am having no troubles with clear pictures but if you want good pics anything with 5 or above will work just fine!
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Bryan, Atlanta GA

1-0-0 Rescued Ball Python - Apep
0-1-0 Rescued Mountain Horned Dragon - Ki
0-0-1 Rescued Aggressive Bearded Dragon - Zeus
0-0-1 Rescued Non-Alpha Green Iguana - Bud
1-1-0 Rescued Rats... no wait... ROTTEN Little Cats - Ra, Bastet
0-0-1 Rescued Dieting Panda Hamster - Mr. Fluffy
0-1-0 Rescued Little Angelic Kitten - Isis
1-0-0 Horse... whoops... BIG Golden Retriever - Jake
0-1-0 Wife
2-0-0 Kids

>>So ah what are you saying there Jay, that you are just better than us and can handle the power? LOL!

LOL. Not at all. I use mine for sports photos, nature, etc. My lens cost more than the camera. Doh! My old camera was an 35mm (paper film) Minolta X370. So I'm dating my self for those in ancient times. I can't see how you can lose with most of what's out there today. Camera technology is very good.
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Jay A. Martin
Jay Martin Reptiles

Hey you shouldn't feel bad about "dating yourself" there. I worked for a place several years ago where people brought in a thing called "film" in to get it processed. We referred to it as a "photo lab". With the invention of digital cameras I figured that it was going to be a short lived business so I jumped ship and went into computers. Who knew the two would eventually merge!?!
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Bryan, Atlanta GA

1-0-0 Rescued Ball Python - Apep
0-1-0 Rescued Mountain Horned Dragon - Ki
0-0-1 Rescued Aggressive Bearded Dragon - Zeus
0-0-1 Rescued Non-Alpha Green Iguana - Bud
1-1-0 Rescued Rats... no wait... ROTTEN Little Cats - Ra, Bastet
0-0-1 Rescued Dieting Panda Hamster - Mr. Fluffy
0-1-0 Rescued Little Angelic Kitten - Isis
1-0-0 Horse... whoops... BIG Golden Retriever - Jake
0-1-0 Wife
2-0-0 Kids

Been using the Nikon Coolpix 800 (purchased as a demo from B& H, 3 years ago, for around $180.) Worked great for posting pix on the web, but dropped it one time too many. If repair costs are manageable, I'll stick with it, otherwise will go for an upgrade. Probably another Nikon, or an Olympus point and shoot.

Mike

Took this picture with my Canon PowerShot S1 3.2 MP - loved this camera but had a hard time taking pictures up close - most of the time they'd be slightly out of focus and working with snakes you tend to have to be kind of close (unless you have another pair of hands to wrestle with the snake while you are shooting it). Out of the hundred or so picts only about 5 of them were very good - and it's point and shoot so there wasn't really anyway to focus the camera. And it sucks batteries

Anyway - my hubby is getting me another camera for Christmas - actually he's got me two that I'm going to test drive: a Canon PowerShot S2 5 MP another point and shoot but the upgraded version has a macro function - so I'm hoping this is all that I really need. If not for a back up he got me Canon Digital Rebel its an SLR camera with macro Lens. Can't wait to spend all Christmas day shooting photos of snakes (LOL).
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Tosha

"Nihil facimus sed id bene facimus"

7.33.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and gang)
1.0.0 Angolan Python (Anakin Skywalker)
0.0.1 Green Tree Python (Verdi - yeah I know but my kids love the book)
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Desert Tortoise (Pope John Paul aka JP )
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.2 frogs rescued from pool skimmer

you are getting a nice camera either way for Christmas, the bad news is- its not the camera causing the problem, its just you! JK

Looking forward to the weekly update!
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Bryan, Atlanta GA

1-0-0 Rescued Ball Python - Apep
0-1-0 Rescued Mountain Horned Dragon - Ki
0-0-1 Rescued Aggressive Bearded Dragon - Zeus
0-0-1 Rescued Non-Alpha Green Iguana - Bud
1-1-0 Rescued Rats... no wait... ROTTEN Little Cats - Ra, Bastet
0-0-1 Rescued Dieting Panda Hamster - Mr. Fluffy
0-1-0 Rescued Little Angelic Kitten - Isis
1-0-0 Horse... whoops... BIG Golden Retriever - Jake
0-1-0 Wife
2-0-0 Kids

>>the bad news is- its not the camera causing the problem, its just you!

LOL - maybe - ah well - whattayagonnado - LOL
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Tosha

"Nihil facimus sed id bene facimus"

7.33.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and gang)
1.0.0 Angolan Python (Anakin Skywalker)
0.0.1 Green Tree Python (Verdi - yeah I know but my kids love the book)
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Desert Tortoise (Pope John Paul aka JP )
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.2 frogs rescued from pool skimmer

.

Nikon's are the way to go if you are going digital!! This camera is perfect for shooting snakes and really anything else in that matter...It isn't as powerful or as expensive as the D70 or D50, but it shoots crystal clear pictures (as you can see from this Super Hypo Mojave I took a pic of @ TSK's table in Daytona)

Now, you should be able to find this camera for around $400.00 if that much...But I just bought the Coolpix L1 for a family member for x-mas gift, and it's quality of pictures is superb and was only a little over $300.00...Enjoy the pics and go with a Nikon for sure, the model is up to you...Happy Holidays!!

Dom
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www.bustyballpythons.com

To "date" myself, I am still using a Nikon 6006! Yeppers, the one with Film, and about 1000 buttons My Digi. had a accident and now refuses to upload the pics!

I can't wait to take pics of my CB guy that arrived today- I dub thee: Carmel Line Pastel. LOL!!
His name is Mysterio or Rey-Rey (WWE again!)

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In Loving Memory of the best Brother God gave me
Sgt. Arnold DuPlantier II
(Army National Guard, Charlie Rock Co.)
06/03/1979-06/22/2005
Support Our Troops

lol, I was using the 4004 before I bought my D100

I bought it because all my old lens fit.

I'm looking at the D200 now. gotta save up it looks sweet.

TomChambers

i'm using nikon 5900, if you can still find them the 4800 are better only 3-4 meg. but it has 8x optical zoom, alot better for close-ups.

vaughn

I had contacted MIKON to get info on the different models a couple years back when i was in the market to buy mine........and as per NIKON.........the coolpix 4500 has the most powerful/best MACRO feature available in any of the coolpix series cameras.......it was the camera of choice for those in the Medical & Dental fields....

I have used this camera for the majority of all my reptile photography.....until now, since I have upgraded to a DSLR, but i wuold not dream of giving it up...........still comes in handy for those quick shots...

Here are a few sample pics taken by me with my COOLPIX 4500

I personally think the quality of this particular camera is TOP NOTCH!!!!!!

Jared Horenstein
R.P.R.

Those pics are sweet man, and so are the snakes!! How'd you get them to sit still like that for the Ivory, Ebony, SYB pic haha?? Sweet snakes as usual Jared..

Dom
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www.bustyballpythons.com

and could ya believe that those pics were hand held.........no bad for no tripod!!!

and as for getting the snakes to sit still..............it took about 2 hours and a LOT of patience.....

Jared H.

love the close ups awsome snakes.
we are using a minolta dimage s304 works good but not for close up pics. like this one the best shot i can get with this camera.

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2.1.0 ball python (aragorn, frodo, arwen)
2.0.0 columbian boa (wiggles and squiggles)
1.0.0 rat snake (alabastered)
0.1.0 corn snake (baby)
3.3.0 cats (rockie, bs, brownie, lerrado, kole, camie)
1.3.0 kids (dilyen, dakota, chyanne, sierra)
Brian n Chrissy

I have a Nikon 990 and the onboard flash really makes things look flat. I've been thinking about getting one of the speed lights.
Thanks,
--crot

What kind of lighting did you use? Was it just the built in flash? I am having a hard time with the flash reflecting(?) off the scales. Very nice snakes and pictures!!!

~Johnny

Thats all SKILLS there baby.............lol.......lemme get off my horse...lol

I set the flash to forced flash in Macro Mode. No filters, all pics were taken hand held from about 5-10 inches away in Macro.

you can also try using the macro feature and stepping back a bit and zooming in..........makes for a different pic...same flash setting.

Jared

I have a nikon 4300, but i also have a canon D10 that i perfer 100%. I also have a 200 mm lens and do wedding photograhy but in my experience i favor the canon. just IMHO.
KIM

This is one of the smallest cameras I have used. It is 3 1/2 X 2 X less than 1 inch wide. It has a 2in LCD. It's kool. Thanks David

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1.0 Pied(04)(RDR)...Man that was a nice one...gone
1.0 Cinnamon Pastel(Bryan Kollwitz)(05)
2.0 Mojave Ball pythons(05)
0.1 Spider Ball(04)(RDR)
1.0 Butterscotch Ghost(04)
1.0 Albino(05)(T. Heuring/bell line)
4.2 Pastels(03's)(04's)(ASF,Graziani,Bell lines)
1.1 Wild Collected Adult Pastels(Ian G)
2.8 Orange Granites(05)
1.0 Yellow Belly(04)(Ian G)
2.0 Yellow Belly(05)(unproven)
1.3 Yellow belly(unproven)(02,03,04's)
2.0 100% HET CLOWN(04's)(MHMR)
3.3 100% het albinos(03's)(high contrast bell line)
0.1 poss Het Albino(03's)
2.0 100% het pieds(03's)(Vin Russo,CRE)
0.2 100% het pieds(03's)(04's)(RDR,TWL)
1.2 Poss het pieds(03's)(PETE KAHL)
2.1 Poss het pieds(00's)(01's) hoping to get PIEDS this year(Vin Russo, Pete Kahl)
25 Normal adult females
60 04 females
15 normal mixed 03's
20 Assorted weird ball pythons 04's
13 baby 2005 PASTELS just HATCHED...4-8-05 and 5-10-05 (O left)

This pic was just taken with my Toshiba PDR-70, 3.3 Megapixel camera. I have been thinking about buying a Rebel XT, but just have not gotten around to it. I think this pic turned out pretty good.

Dave